The Infinite when it was Two Digits Old
Page 35
“See that man with the two bodyguards and the other man talking to him? They were mafia, now ex-mafia, one of them is Phyllis’s dad. Phyllis and her dad were both on the run from them. That’s why she changed her name to Phyllis Marks. They were looking for her father. My Dad’s company was able to spread some money around to patch things up. As for us, we got scared and spent a year or so in Europe. We went to Italy, Spain, Germany, France, England and a few of the other countries. My dad’s company hired Phyllis and me as a company representative, so it was a working vacation. Then we came back to the states.”
Charlie looked at David, “and what’s with all this money?”
David shrugged, “It’s the company that my Dad keeps.”
***
After everyone had eaten, the party migrated to the dance floor. At one point, the band played the ‘Time Warp’. The Rocky Horror Picture Show group all danced to it. They recognized David and Phyllis’ voices among the singers. A large monitor displayed Charlie Haines who sang an off-key solo. Everyone cheered as Dr. Haines bowed. The party continued until midnight, when one of the bands returned to the hemisphere and the party shortly followed. The hemisphere took off, this time they flew closer to earth (and gravity), until they landed by the white building and their waiting limousines.
***
Martin and Corey, David and Phyllis and Sidney and Janet stood at the entrance of the hemisphere. A sleeping boy was slung over Sidney’s shoulder. All the guests filed past the three couples.
Martin and Corey shook Bill and Hilary’s hand. “Bill, Hillary I’m so glad you could make it. The entire executive board of C H Enterprises appreciates your making time for it.”
Hillary asked, “The entire board?”
Martin nodded.
Bill said, “What about Charlie? I thought I’d personally thank him for his contribution to the Tsunami relief fund.”
Martin gestured toward a camera that neither Bill nor Hillary noticed earlier.
“Oh, in his own way, C H was here for the entire affair.”
“Well if there’s any way I can help C H please let me know. I’m a big fan of what he’s done.”
“Me too, he single-handedly changed the image of the Ugly American”, said Hillary.
Martin said, “The feeling is totally mutual. C H’s words himself.”
Hillary said, “And the wedding was phenomenal, simple but elegant, breathtaking but understated. Who would have expected pizza and beer at a wedding like this? Although the lobster with truffles was unbelievable.”
Martin grinned, “That tends to be the C H Enterprise’s style.”
***
David broadly grinned as he held onto Phyllis’ waist. “Charlie, Daphne, I’m so glad you both could make it.”
Charlie very honestly said, “This wedding is something I’ll never forget. I’m so glad you talked me into coming. And the reunion of the RHPS group, … thank you.”
Daphne piped in, “David, can I ask a small favor? Can I get your dad’s business phone number?”
David hesitated a moment, while he listened to Phyllis’ suggestion, and gave the number to Daphne.
***
Fasil sat in the driver’s seat of the large gasoline tanker, taking a last drag of the mild American cigarette. The engine was running and the tanker was sitting three blocks from the Klein residence. It was 8:30 at night. From his vantage point, he could see movement in the lit Klein residence windows in the distance. He dared not approach any closer. Cars, with passengers, were parked in front of the house, day and night. The street he was on was very quiet. He sat under a blue-green, tall tree. It was a very old tree. The tree blocked the light from a nearby streetlamp.
Fasil closed the top button of his shirt and exited the truck. Pitching his lit cigarette onto the street, he stood for a few seconds near his rental car. He took out his car keys in his left hand, as he stared at the buttons of the remote control unit in his right. The remote would slip the clutch, activate the gas and let him control the steering. He had been practicing steering by remote control for the last two days. He was able to steer the mammoth truck at sixty miles per hour through a far narrower path then this empty street. However, he had not practiced flicking the arming mechanism. The explosion would be delayed four seconds after a collision. By the time the guards noticed the truck barreling to the house it would be too late to intercept. Even if they saw it and they attempted to stop it, the massive truck would not slow down enough to save that cursed Martin Klein and his new wife. The gasoline and explosives would level the house and those around it. Fasil stroked the clutch button. It felt so complete. ‘Death, is my mistress. This will be it then. I will sleep tonight. Allah is Great.’ His muscles tightened on the toggle switch activator.
Fasil felt nothing as his body was transformed into atoms. Hydrogen and oxygen atoms rose, creating a small white cloud, which quickly dissipated. The carbon and other heavier atoms fell. The remote also became elemental iron, carbon, copper and silicon. Those atoms also fell. The falling atoms were slightly scattered by a small evening breeze, leaving a multicolor white, brown, and black smudge on the tar-covered roadway. The smudge would be washed away at the next rain.
The stolen truck was reported to the police the next day by the owner of the house it was parked at. The engine was still running. The home owner never saw the fifty foot tree, which had not been there the previous afternoon. So he never noted its absence. He was puzzled by the hole it left.
***
Ashrif bin Laden was having dinner in an excellent French restaurant in New York City. His wife was seated next to him, as was a New York representative of his construction company. The private room was tastefully decorated by a few pieces of art deco, exotic plants and a small jade colored fountain. Ashrif came to this restaurant whenever he visited New York City. He held a small piece of brie on a cracker as his body was transformed into its atomic components. The NYC representative felt the blast of cold by the sudden endothermic reaction as the oxygen and hydrogen absorbed energy from the nearby air. It almost looked like a cheap magicians smoke pellet. Ashrif’s wife looked around the small room for many moments before she started to scream. The guards, who ate at a table facing the closed door rushed in. There were no other exits. The cheese was found on the seat, covered by carbon.
***
“Martin Klein? I don’t know if you remember me, we met at your wedding. My name is Daphne St. John.”
David: Dad she was Charlie’s date, she’s a reporter, she asked for your number.
“Charlie Gonzales’ date. David mentioned you asked for my phone number. I hope you enjoyed the wedding.”
“It was beyond anything I ever experienced. And I also want to thank you for the beautiful white gown. However, I was wondering if you could tell me your relationship with C H Electricity?”
David: Careful dad, down play it.
Martin: I know that, now quiet. I can’t talk and talk at the same time like you.
“I once worked for them, as a Project Manager of the Worchester area, but I’m now working as an assistant medical monitor in a small biotech company.”
“Are you a doctor?”
“Yes.”
“The Ryans are both doctors too.”
“Yes.”
“Did you or the Ryans do something to make Dr. Haines into a super-genius?”
David: Just say he was smart at birth. That’s the truth.
“What? Us? Umm, I do know him, one of the few who know him personally. I only graduated from school twenty years ago. Charlie did tell me that he’s been brilliant since childhood. As to the Ryans, they were first introduced to Charlie, through me, a year ago. Charlie’s been helping their research institute out since then. He’s funneling money to help their son’s illness. Through research, perhaps Josh will live past his teenage years. C H is very big in charity work across the globe.”
“What is David’s relationship with Dr. Haines? Was David involved with the
Barnes-Haines breakthrough?”
David: She must know about the seminars.
Martin paused before answering, “David introduced Dr. Haines to Dr. Barnes, and sat in the special seminar where they solved the gravity equations. David is, well, David’s quite attached to Dr. Haines and Dr. Haines would do anything for David and me.”
David: Tell her that Dr. Haines and I were inseparable for many years.
Martin: Ssssh.
“Like throwing you a multi-million wedding?”
“C H did no such thing. We were the first to use his new flying chapel, a test run. But you have to realize, the chapel and the island are now rentable for anyone’s wedding. Our only cost was for the catering and help.”
“I couldn’t help but notice that the diamond engagement rings were humongous.”
“Young lady, are you a reporter?”
“I work for the State Louis Daily Record.”
“Well then, everything I said is NOT on record. I will deny everything. Charlie Haines is very rigid about avoiding being in the news. As his doctor, former employee, and a personal friend, I have to keep everything he says confidential. I have to respect his wishes. As for the rings, did you verify that they are real diamonds? Do you think we stole the Hope diamond and made rings from it? Whatever, just think. What would happen, worldwide, if you wrote a story, even hinting that C H could make artificial diamonds? What would the hint of that do? It could destroy one of Africa’s largest fledgling democracies. Anarchy. If Charlie Gonzales bought you a quarter carat ring, how would that news affect you? It would cheapen it. It would make it worthless.”
“I’m sorry Doctor Klein. But how do I know you aren’t blackmailing Dr. Haines?”
“I think you should learn the ethics of investigative reporting, young lady. Charlie and I met soon after my early medical training. Since then I’ve literally saved his life a few times and figuratively saved him a dozen more times. Unfortunately, Charlie has a major psychiatric problem with sociophobia, the fear of people. For many years, and I do mean years, I was the only human he saw. I was his doctor.”
David: Tell him that you had a father-son relationship with ole Haines.
Martin: S H U T U P !
“Did you say something Dr. Klein?
“Sorry clearing my throat. As I was saying, Dr. Haines values my company and advice. That was the main reason we get along so well. There is no diabolical mystery here. He respects me and I respect him. Due to doctor-patient confidentially, Ms. Saint John this conversation never took place.
Martin: Think she’ll go to press?
David: Nah, she could never get it past her fact checker. He’s a stickler. She’d be fired.
Martin: You know that we’re skating on thin ice David.
David: Yeah. Phyl is going to be taking me ice-skating next week. She says its fun.
Martin: Until you hit the ice or it cracks apart under you.
YEAR 62.6 EPILOGUE – IT’S TOUGH BEING THE FORMER OVERLORD OF EARTH
David* sat on their patio, overlooking the drop-off. David* looked like he did when they got married, Phyllis actually looked younger. The Ins had estates on the circumference of Olympus. David* looked across the edge and down. He, of course, could not see the peak of the mountain. The former peak was now below the base. Olympus had originally been the top half of a huge South American mountain. Many years ago, David supervised shearing off the top half of the mountain and flipping it over to form Olympus. The stump of the old Paraguayan mountain was now arable farmland. The new topsoil was harbor silt transported by air-barge.
As David* looked down he saw clouds and farmlands. Olympus was currently floating above the country he had called Sudan in his youth. The continent of Africa had been at peace for many decades.
Almost all countries welcomed the floating city of Olympus. It was a harbinger of peace and prosperity.
David* waved his hand at the many floating sightseers who kept their respectful 200 foot distance from the floating mountain. Some had traveled days to see the former President of the Earth.
Phyllis closed the patio door with a tray of snacks. “I brought some chicken satay.” She placed the tray of peanut flavored skewers of chicken on a table next to David* and sat down.
They both looked off at the land below and spoke in silence.
Phyllis: I spoke to Windseig today, to say hello.
David*: So how is the Head Dean doing?
Phyllis: Oh great. The online college is doing fantastic. He said that Josh’s Genetics class on cell structure and differentiation is doing gangbusters. There were over twenty five hundred enrollees at last count.
David*: Isn’t that over-enrolled a bit? They have a maximum of forty in any class.
Phyllis: Arthur said that as long as Josh can answer each student’s individual question and Josh permits the extra students, they would allow it. Hell, they have five Nobel Laureates taking the class, including Alfried Knobel.
David*: Is that because of the Academic Recertification Bill?
Phyllis: Don’t be catty. Just because most of us need to redo half our old credits every thirty-five years, doesn’t make what Joshua is teaching any the less worthwhile. Don’t you think they’d still sit in the class even without the need for recertification?
David*: Very true, I remember when those guys were clamoring for Joshua’s e-mails – his words of wisdom. Each one was a new research avenue or a latent Nobel Prize winner. Speaking about classes, have you decided what you’ll be majoring in next time around?
Phyllis: I’ve decided to do Business and Economics, but that’s still years away.
David*: Isn’t that a bit redundant, I mean, shouldn’t you be teaching that class. You WERE running the world economy for eight years.
Phyllis: Yeah, but all from the seat of my pants.
David*: Teacher didn’t guide you?
Phyllis: True. You’re lucky you don’t have to take any classes.
David*: Yup, the food replicator allowed me to place out. In any case, David is in full time school. I’m just David’s poor 3-D semi-perfect mortal copy. All of us totally enhanced are exempted.
Phyllis: Speaking of the replicator, when do you plan to expand the selection from your basics, beyond replicated water, milk, air, etc.? You used to talk about ‘Earl Grey, hot’.
David*: I don’t, I set the wheels running. I’m letting others increase the variety. In addition, my perfectly spherical R-potatoes are never as tasty as the knobby ones that are grown. I make sure that farmers stay in business.
Phyllis: You know, it’s only a short time, before one of the new computer enhanced will write the code to reproduce anything.
David*: Josh says we’ll be able to replicate perfect duplicates of ourselves in a hundred fifty years. And of course, the replication could be anywhere. One second we’re on Mount Olympus the next at Olympus Mons on the planet Mars. We’ll call the process of moving by destruction of our old body and replication elsewhere, disavaporation.
Phyllis laughed.
Phyllis: Speaking of food, we still need to go shopping for fresh food. Dr. Hernandez’ is only open 2 to 5 today.
David*: Ah, the gentleman farmer, the only one selling fresh fruit and vegetables on Olympus and
Phyllis: Well, you created the system. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander leading the flock.
David* and Phyllis left their home and started walking toward the market stand.
Phyllis: Remember, we’re …
David*:
Phyllis gave David* a cuff behind the head, as they waited in line at the market stand. It’s tough being the former Overlord of the Earth. His sweatshirt reiterated that.
###
About the Author Allen I. Fleishman, PhD
Born and ra
ised in the Bronx, I originally studied Pre-Med. All their weird and unique names did me in (after all, Ulna should be the first name of an ugly Hungarian barmaid). In graduate school I switched majors to cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology is the experimental branch of psychology looking at how we think and process information. I got as far as two years when I realized that the entire field of psychology is math illiterate. Psychology completely lacked the tools to study individuals. So I made the change to the University of Illinois and the mathematical/statistical end of psychology, where I received a PhD. At the U of I my work was entirely mathematical/statistical, despite the psychology major. My dissertation was a computer simulation examining ways to optimize prediction in the face of little data. I believe they still use the term ‘Fleishman’ as a synonym for a computer job lasting more than twelve hours (small jobs are pico-Fleishman). My only human experimentation was my infamous (at least at the local Institutional Review Board) study: “Asking my wife what she thinks”, a factor-analytic study of one person. To those of us who studied psychology, it was an unpublished implicit personality theory study. I feel it demonstrated that current theories of personality (e.g., by Freud, Osgood, Cattell) are not universal. If everyone is idiosyncratic, then there will be people for whom the ‘Oedipal Complex’ is true and people for whom it is not. Furthermore, even for the Oedipal Complex people, it will be true at some times in their life, exacerbated by certain situations, but not all. Therefore, individuals and time/situation MUST be factored into any ‘General Unifying Theory of Psychology’.